Photographer s press



(No 116661. I v

' ,T. H. MOGOLLIN.

PHOTOGRAPHERS PRES-S- No. 566,761. Patented Oct. '20, 1896..

UNITED STATES PATENT FFiCE.

PHOTOGRAPHERS PRESS.

SPECIFICATION-forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,761, dated October 20, 1896.

Application filed November 16, 1894. Serial No. 528,986. (No model.)

To all ZUh/OTH/ may concern.-

Beit known that I, Tnonas H. MoCoLLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographers Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to presses of the kind used, more especially, for imprinting characters upon photographic mounts, my object herein being to provide a construction whereby the requisite impressions may be readily applied to large or small cards at predetermined positions thereon, and whereby gold or other metallic leaf or powder may be accurately and expeditiously applied to and affixed in such impressions.

As heretofore constructed presses of the class named have been cumbersome, expensive, and difficult to operate, in consequence of which it has been the custom of special concerns to imprint for and at the expense of photographers the cards or mountings used by the latter.

My invention is designed to afford a simple and comparatively inexpensive structure that may he possessed by the individual photographer and be efficiently used by him in the manner above mentioned.

To this end the invention, as generally stated, comprehends a reciprocative platen, preferably inclin ed, as below described, means for reciprocating the same, a bed arranged below and parallel with said platen, a die holder or chase attachable to and detachable from said bed, and novel lateral and end guide devices coacting with said parts to effect accurate register or adjustment in relation to the die of a superposed card or mounting, all as hereinafter fully described, and definitely claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the die-holder and the supporting-bed. Fig.

i: is a perspective view of the die-holder detached. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the adjustable end guide.

A designates the main supporting-frame, comprising an inclined bed a and an overhangingarm a, connected therewith. The forward or elevated portion of the bed is sustained by appropriate legs or standards (L as seen, while the forward portion of the arm is pro vided with a longitudinal guideway therein for the reception of a plunger 1), to the end that the latter shall be reciprocative at a right angle to the opposed face of the bed. On the lower end of the plunger is a platen B, the face of which is parallel with that of the bed. The plunger with its platen is maintained normally elevated by the action of a spiral spring I), the upper end of which is secured to a projecting pin [2 fast on the arm a, while the other or lower end is secured to a pin 19 which projects from the plunger through a vertical slot in said arm.

Between suitably-disposed lugs a on the arm a is pivoted the cam-headed end of a hand-lever b", the same being adapted when properly manipulated to act upon the upper end of the plunger for the purpose of forcibly depressing the plunger and platen against the stress of the spring or of permitting the same to be returned by the spring to the raised position.

On the upper face of the bed is removably supported a die holder or chase 0, comprising a rectangular con struction provided with lateral lips or guides c, that take against the edges of the bed, to the end that the dieholder may be readily and accurately applied to the bed from the front of the machine. The holder is also provided with a suitablyarranged stop 0 therein to facilitate the proper disposition of the die-block D, which latter is clamped in place by means of a setscrew 0 working in one side of the holder, as shown. It is further provided with a forwardly-extending frame-piece a the outer end of which is bent upward in line with the face of the die-block to the end that said frame-piece shall serve not only as a guide or support for the cards introduced to the maohine, but also as a handle for the die-holder. It will be seen that if said holder, with the die contained therein, be applied to the bed and a card thereupon be interposed between the die and the normally-raised platen the act of depressing said platen, as above described, will effect the impression of the die in the opposed face of the card.

As a simple and eiiicient means to insure the proper disposition of the card in respect to the die I have provided lateral and end guide devices of the following construction: Extending laterally outward from the forward portion of the arm a is a rod E, on which are adjustably mounted two (more or less) forwardly extending fingers 6, preferably downwardly curved, as illustrated. In this instance the fingers are provided with perforated bosses e, which are freely mounted on the rod and are provided with set-screws 6 which take against the rod. Henceby loosening the screws the fingers or either of them may be adjusted to any point in the length of the rod or be swung upwardly or downwardly-thereon, and then by tightening the screws said fingers or either of them may be fixed in the position of adjustment. For example, in small or cabinet-size work the smaller or inner finger is set in proper relation with the die to serve as a guide or abutment for the lateral edge of the card, while in larger work this finger is thrown out of action and the larger finger is brought into play. It will be seen that by merely throwing the finger more or less on the rod the lower end of the finger may be set to any predetermined point, within limits, in respect to the forward and rearward ends of the card.

Suitably located on the sides of the frame A, rearwardly of the inclined bed, are bosses f, which are transversely perforated to receive two parallel rods f, that extend upwardly beneath the platen, and which bosses are provided with set-screws), by means of which the rods may be fixed in various positions of longitudinal adjustment. The upper ends of these rods support a transverse bar or plate F, which serves as a determinate stop or guide for the inner end of the card, the position of such bar or plate relative to the die being effected by the proper adjustment of the lateral rods. The plate F takes against the under side of the platen and eX- tends below the top of the die-block, so as to afford a positive stop for the card. The rods are yielding or elastic to the end that when the platen is depressed the guide-plate will yield thereto and that when the platen is raised said plate will automatically resume its former position.

For the purpose of strengthening the overhanging arm I connect it at a suitable point in its length with the bed portion by means of a stout screw or bolt G, which latter may be readily removed should occasion so require, as, for instance, when it is necessary to impress the card a considerable distance beyond its forward edge.

As large cards, by reason of their greater thickness, are much softer than smaller cards the pressure exerted by the platen upon the former is much less than upon the latter, and hence the strength of the arm without the reinforcin g screw or bolt is ample for large work.

By the foregoing described construction it will be obvious that large or small cards may be impressed at any predetermined position thereon, that when the guides are once set for a certain class of work no change of the parts is required until the work is completed,

and that, so far as the adjusting of the partsis concerned, no especial skill is required.

When it is desired to apply gold or other metallic leaf or powder to the impressions, the die is sized at the outset in the usual manner and the requisite heat is applied to the die by merely setting the holder or chase upon a suitable stove, the frame 0 in that case providing a ready means whereby the die-holder may be handled. In view of the inclination of the bed said holder may be readily applied to or removed from the machine. Similarly, the insertion of the card or mount between the die and the platen is facilitated.

I claim-- 1. In a photographefs press, the combination, with a supporting-frame comprising an inclined bed and an overhanging arm, of a reciprocative platen disposed above and parallel with said bed, means for reciprocating said platen, a die-holder attachable to and detachable from said bed, adjustable end and lateral guides on said frame, and means for fixing said guides in their respective positions of adjustment, substantially as described.

' 2. In a photographers press, the combination, with a supporting-frame provided with a suitable bed, a reciprocative platen above said bed, and means for reciprocating the platen, of a die-holder constructed to be slid upon said bed, and an adjustable yielding end guide rearward of said holder, said guide comprising a transverse bar or plate that lies against the under side of the platen and lateral rods that are extended from said plate or bar and adjustably mounted in supports in the respective sides of the frame, whereby the ends of the bar may be adjusted independently of each other, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS H. MCCOLLIN.

WVitnesses:

JOHN R. NOLAN, WATSON NOLAN.

IIO 

